A surface mount technology (SMT) connector, which is surface mounted to a mount surface of a printed circuit board, is widely used to electrically connect the printed circuit board to another printed circuit board or an external electric device. The SMT connector eases formation of an electrical connection of the SMT connector to a device mounted on the printed circuit board and enables arrangement of contacts of the SMT connector at a high density. A soldering portion (a lead terminal) of each contact of the SMT connector is soldered to a corresponding land formed on the mount surface of the printed circuit board, so that the SMT connector is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. For instance, JP2007-87748A teaches pegs (also referred to as legs), which are installed to a housing of an SMT connector having a plurality of contacts. The pegs hold the housing relative to a printed circuit board, thereby increasing a holding force for holding the housing relative to the printed circuit board with the pegs.
In the SMT connector of JP2007-87748A, the pegs project from two longitudinal end surfaces, respectively, of the housing, which are opposed to each other in a longitudinal direction of the housing. Furthermore, these pegs extend in a width direction of the housing, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each peg is formed by bending a metal plate member into an L-shape. One end portion of each peg configured into the L-shape is embedded into the corresponding longitudinal end surface of the housing, and the other end portion of the peg is exposed from the corresponding longitudinal end surface of the housing. A bottom surface part of the other end portion of the peg contacts the mount surface of the printed circuit board (more specifically, a corresponding land of the mount surface of the printed circuit board) when the SMT connector is mounted to the mount surface of the printed circuit board, and then the bottom surface part of the peg is soldered to the corresponding land formed on the mount surface of the printed circuit board. Therefore, the SMT connector is fixed to the printed circuit board in the stable manner.
However, in the case of JP2007-87748A where the SMT connector is fixed to the printed circuit board through the pegs, the following disadvantage may be encountered. Specifically, the pegs are securely soldered to the corresponding lands, respectively, formed on the mount surface of the printed circuit board. A stress (e.g., a stress similar to one shown in and discussed with reference to FIG. 5 later) may be exerted to the pegs in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the printed circuit board and may be caused by an inserting or removing force of a mating connector (a second connector) relative to the SMT connector or a weight or tension of an electrical conductive line, which is connected to the mating connector. The stress may possibly cause disconnection of the soldered connection between the land and the peg, so that the holding force of the pegs for holding the housing of the SMT connector to the printed circuit board may be reduced. Thereby, a stress may be also applied to a soldered connection between each lead terminal of the SMT connector and the corresponding land of the printed circuit board. Therefore, a crack may be formed in the solder, which connects between the lead terminal and the land, possibly causing a failure of the electrical connection.
In order to improve the peel strength of the peg relative to the land, it may be conceivable to change the amount of applied solder, or the configuration of the peg and/or the land. However, in such a case, the strength designing may become difficult.